Brace Yourselves, Results Are Coming.

With CBSE board results coming out, pressure on students is high right now. Trembling hands will type in their roll number as parents peer over their shoulders. In many homes, the percentage they attain could result in either sweets being distributed, or yet another shroud being carried with heavy hearts.

Parents and the students’ career counsellors alike keep telling the students that grades don’t determine their life yet their words don’t seem to get through to the students who have been brought up their whole lives being taught that they must excel in academics, else be unaccepted by society. Calls come in on the day of the results from relatives that students don’t even know, all eager to find out how much they have scored.

But through all these years of rigorous training just to perfect five main subjects students have forgotten the sixth one which they all need to learn; mental health. Schools don’t teach the students how to cope with stress, manage their time or how to even seek help, which are all things that are necessary at this stage of their education. Career fairs are held by the dozen every year, yet mental well being workshops aren’t even considered.

CBSE over the last few years has been trying to change its syllabus by giving it a more practical approach to encourage holistic development but no steps have been taken to add in this vital subject that needs to be taught.

Grades are important; that is true. But do not forget that your mental and physical health is more important. You can always get into another college, take an additional course, go for an internship and do a dozen other things to add weight to your CV. But all of it would be irrelevant if you were to give up your own life or give up on your life.

So this results season, let sweets be distributed on the occasion that even if you didn’t get the grades you had hoped for, at least another set of parents won’t have to cry over yet another shroud.